The boys’ cross-country team has been one of the most successful teams for PMHS since the current senior class began high school back in 2020. The class of 2024 has been the team’s backbone throughout the past three years as four of the eight seniors have been varsity runners since freshman season. Now, the team has a chance to do something special, as they are projected to be the fastest team in school history.
“[The projection] means a lot to me,” senior Luke Haggerty said. “My biggest goal was to leave a mark on the team.”
Although it seems that success has come naturally to this talented group, the amount of time and work they put in is unparalleled. Since running in middle school, the team has spent hours in the summer training and nurturing a habit that has lasted for six years.
“Especially for the seniors,” senior Kyle Corbin said, “we would just make plans to run with each other when there were no practices in the offseason.”
All this time spent together has made this group more than just teammates.
“Running together year-round made us more like a family,” Corbin said.
Over the last three years, the team has created an unbreakable bond that has helped push them to their best, but there is still one hill for the team to run up.
“We want to make it to state,” sophomore Cooper Miles said. “Everyone does.”
While state may have been out of sight for the team in the past, some changes to the postseason may work in the Falcons’ favor. The IHSAA has eliminated the semi-state race and increased the number of teams and runners that advance to the state finals.
“It makes it easier on us,” Miles said. “We have a chance, but we still have a lot of work to do.”
The new format has 25 sectionals followed by five regional races. The top five teams in each race will advance along with the top 15 individuals not on a qualifying team. For the Falcons, this makes state even more achievable as they are currently ranked eighth in their regional race, an improvement on last year’s projection of just outside the top 20.
“I think it’s going to take even more consistency,” senior Jude Hunt said. “When we’re faced with those hard workouts and meets we need to push through.”
Even with the end goal of making it to state, there are plenty of races between now and the state finals to help the team prepare.
“I’m really proud of this team,” Luke Haggerty said. “No matter what, I enjoyed being a part of it.”
